Solid, architectural and protective. The Rook moves in straight lines, following a clear structure.
It can be seen as a symbol of stability and the structures we build around ourselves — structures that can protect us, but can also confine us.
These chess pieces are not made to be played with. Each piece is a sculptural character, exploring the human roles we perform, inherit and sometimes question.
Made from naturally vegetable-tanned leather, each piece is individually shaped and coloured through Dirk Vaessen’s own experimental colour processes. Waste materials are used wherever possible as pigment sources, giving the leather its unique and unpredictable surface.
Each piece is handmade by Dirk Vaessen in limited editions.
